I'm assuming some of you have seen the Jets site headlines, but for those of you who haven't. http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/articles/show/2804-clemens-i-feel-ready-to-step-up-in-class Since being drafted by the Jets in 2006, QB Kellen Clemens has gotten to study under two remarkable NFL quarterbacks. ?I?ve had a very unique opportunity to learn from two guys who are very, very good players and really aren?t very similar in a lot of ways,? Clemens said. Chad Pennington, Clemens? first NFL mentor, won the NFL?s Comeback Player of the Year award following Clemens? rookie season, after turning in an impressive performance following his second surgery on his throwing shoulder. He is also the most accurate QB in NFL history with a 66.0 percent completion rate (1,580-for-2,395) through Sunday's 22-for-30 performance for the Dolphins against the Jets. ?The biggest thing from Chad," Clemens said, "was that you?re not going to find too many guys who represent their organization with more class than Chad Pennington. The level of preparation with Chad that he goes into each game with is another big thing.? More recently, Clemens worked this season under Favre, whose 169 regular-season wins as a starting QB are the most in league history. ?The way that he plays the game,? he said of Favre, ?with the passion and energy ? it was infectious to all of us and it was good to learn from. It?s definitely helped.? He anticipated waiting to see if Favre would return with the Jets for the 2009 season, but was surprised to find out that Eric Mangini, the coach who drafted him, departed from the team earlier this week. It was reported Tuesday that Cleveland owner Randy Lerner will talk to Mangini about the Browns head-coaching vacancy after Romeo Crennel (Mangini's good friend and former Patriots coaching partner) was dismissed. ?There?s a lot of memories and a lot of hard work,? he said of Mangini. ?I mean, he was grinding right alongside all of us when we were doing training camps and OTAs and all the off-season work. He put in a lot of hours. So there are emotions that definitely go into it. ?I wish him all the best in his endeavors.? Clemens said that he and his teammates will embrace their new coach and that he?ll approach the coming months with the intensity of a player preparing to be the starter. ?I feel ready to become the player that I was drafted here to be,? he said. ?It?s been a good opportunity for me this year to sit back and learn and we?ll see how things shake out next year.? But he stopped short of making any predictions as to whether or not Favre will return for his 19th season. ?People have been guessing on Brett Favre?s future for the last four or five years and have been wrong most of the time.?
When? Behind an atrocious offensive line? Or when the team traded for Favre? I don't think any of our young QB's ever got a valid chance.
^I agree. I don't know why people are so ready to write off Clemens already. Sure he hasn't amazed anyone but I don't think any quarterback would've had a successful year behind our porous offensive line last year(including Chad). I can guarantee you that he'll throw less than 22 picks unlike a certain quarterback we had the pain of watching this year.
An example of a QB who looked bad in the beginning but was great later was an Atlanta Falcons backup by the name of Brett Favre.
Note the similarities between the two. Work hard, put a lot of hours. And there is no question both Pannington and Mangini are talented. Chad is the most accurate thrower in history of NFL. And Mangini is the youngest coach in the League, who led us to 2 winning seasons in 3 years as a first time coach. Woody booted both of them. We are already set back several years without Chad, who put up amazing season for our rivals. Now he set Jets back even more firing Mangini. Finally, because of his screw up at the most important position in football (QB) and idiotic philosophy that coach cannot make football decisions, we missed out on Cowher. What a disaster.
I don't know what Clemens will turn out to be but he deserves another shot. Remember how bad Chad looked behind that OL in '07.
I agree 5 games is not enough to find out what ur QB has but for some reason I don't think he going to be that good of a QB.
As bad as line was, he had better rating than Favre this year behind good line. Also threw more TDs than INT, unlike Favre. Clemens had like 60 rating behind the same line, where Pennington compiled 80+. There is no comparison there.
Open tryout in TC is the way to go. Last man standing becomes the #1 QB. No favorites, passes, or gifts. This is Sparta....
What are we going to do? Waste 5 games of the regular season to test the kid out? Even during Preseason where he was passing behind a new offensive line he STILL lagged behind Ratliff. Drop him.
Y'know what I don't get. How is 5 games not enough to see how Clemens does, but apparently is enough to see how Favre does.
Clemens will NEVER be the starting QB of this team. NEVER. They will draft a 7th rounder and throw him to the wolves before Clemens gets another chance. Bank on it.
Word I like Ratliff myself because he's got the prototypical size AND arm- Clemens has a good arm but his accuracy didn't impress me. I'm not a fan of Ainge and would love if the Jets bring in another arm in TC. I'm gonna be monitoring the McNabb situation in Philly for sure- I love the guy- he was a beast to end the season. The Jets are going to need to be unconventional given the lack of QB depth in the draft- they will likely have to swing a trade for another team's backup. My idea- Brian Brohm is buried on the Packers QB depth chart behind both Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn. The Packers used a 2nd on him and won't ask for nearly as much in return now- that was a baffling draft pick in the first place but Rodgers looks like the real deal now. Other backups I might go after is Leinart who wants to move on because Warner looks to be the starter next year, I'm not nearly as big a fan of his as Brohm though.
The only problem with expecting some backups to come out really good is that sometimes..... they don't.
